Members of the Independent Party testified on behalf of initiative rights at two hearings before the Senate Committee on Elections and Ethics last week. The bill they testified on will bring signature verification for initiative petitions that is currently being conducted by Oregon's County Clerks into the Secretary of State's office. Their testimony focussed on the rights of valid electors whose names are wrongly excluded during the state's signature verification process and on allowing petitioners to remove duplicate names from petition sheets prior to turn-in to the Secretary of State.

Although the bill moved forward without the amendments offered by Independents, one of the two issues was resolved when the Secretary of State pledged to allow petitioners to remove duplicates and invalid addresses, reversing an earlier position taken by that office.

Testimony of Sal Peralta on SB 1083 to the Senate Committee on elections and Ethics, (remarks as prepared for delivery)

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Madame chair,

Distinguished Senators, my name is Sal Peralta. I am speaking here today as chief petitioner on Initiative Petition 3 (2010), as the owner of a business that works on initiative petitioning, and as an Oregon elector.

I have been following the Secretary of State's implementation of the various rules and regulations that pertain to Oregon's Initiative and Referendum system.

I testified in support of fusion voting on behalf of the Independent Party at an interim committee hearing of the Senate Committee on Rules and Elections today.

Senator Brad Avakian spoke in favor of his introduction of the measure first, followed by Barb Dudley, a professor at Portland State University who is co-chair of the Working Families Party of Oregon.

Our current system, or any system in which 3rd party candidates are primarily relegated to the role of spoiler, is broken. We believe that it is contributing to voter apathy, the disillusionment of voters toward the legislature, and the disillusionment of voters toward both major political parties. ...

Fusion voting offers us a different way of moving forward.

Rather than locking minor parties out of the political process, Fusion gives them an opportunity to collaborate with the major political parties on a platform and agenda that strengthens all sides while encouraging candidates to reach out to minor political parties and to win their nomination.

Read my full testimony below the fold